as in partial
inclined to favor one side over another
a shamelessly partisan reporter covering the primary campaign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also partizan
1
as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
partisans of the charismatic leader refuse to tolerate any criticism of him at all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in militant
one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause
a partisan of the revolution who was even willing to give her life for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sectarian
one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices
she's too much of a political partisan to ever concede that the other side might have a valid point
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of partisan
Max Tani, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The error margins are larger among partisan group subsamples.
—Emily Guskin, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Good and bad ideas come from all sides of the political spectrum, and hyper-partisans who don’t understand that are unable to see the full range of options when making public policy.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisan
Adjective
More Once a necessary force for politicians on both sides to reckon with, campaign reporters are now often feeling the squeeze of the increasingly partisan drift of new media and a shifting media landscape that no longer solely relies on them.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 24 Feb. 2026
The error margins are larger among partisan group subsamples.
—Emily Guskin, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
Political partisans tend to behave in a partisan way—even if that partisanship is disguised as apolitical, Christian living.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Good and bad ideas come from all sides of the political spectrum, and hyper-partisans who don’t understand that are unable to see the full range of options when making public policy.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for partisan
Adjective
-
Many of them did so outside of the House chamber, choosing to instead boycott the annual address at a time when the government is in its third partial shutdown in the last five months.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2026
-
After the killing of the two Americans in Minnesota, Democrats refused to authorize new funding for DHS, leading to a partial government shutdown.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Tied heavily to the moon's phases, the Lunar New Year has commenced this week as adherents usher in the Year of the Horse with a variety of cultural traditions.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
For its adherents, the sport always boils down to calculations of risk.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The airstrikes came after a month of deadly attacks within Pakistan, the most recent being the killing of two soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, by militants in the country’s northwest on Saturday, officials said.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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Habib Ullah, a local tribal elder, said those killed in the strikes were not militants.—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Iraqi prime minister at the time, Nuri al-Maliki, was a Shiite sectarian with close ties to Iran, and many of his fellow Shia thought he could be relied on to listen to Iran’s wishes and find a way to avoid clashing with an Iranian proxy militia.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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Both sides insist the other initiated the initial volley of gunfire that killed four agents and six sectarians.—
Joshua Alston,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2023
Adjective
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Bushey’s hostile behavior following his sister’s arrival caused Laurie and her mother to take several safety measures out of fear, such as removing knives from the home, changing the locks, and finally pursuing a restraining order against Bushey and taking steps to evict him, Pirrello said.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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As events are leaning toward David Ellison and Paramount prevailing in its $108 billion hostile-takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, almost a dozen Republican state attorneys general are insisting that the federal government heavily scrutinize Netflix‘s bid for the iconic studio.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Thousands of followers were drawn to the saint by his charisma, his evangelical zeal and his commitment to poverty and charity.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
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The couple owns two golden retriever therapy dogs, Ellie and Emma, who are internet sensations with millions of followers.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Last year, it was also accused of killing Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo, a known crusader against organized crime in Mexico.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Kennedy has stocked key public health advisory committees with anti-vax crusaders.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The 23-year-old student, described as a fervent nationalist, was beaten by a group of people earlier this month in the city of Lyon, in fighting that erupted between far-left and far-right activists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Koestler, a British citizen raised in Budapest, remained a Hungarian soccer nationalist all his life.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Partisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/partisan. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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